Read With Us - Chapter 5

Join Us as we continue to read with Holly, our current book is Lynnette Kraft's In Faithfulness, He Afflicted me.

Regarding the next six months that Lynnette describes -
Life can be challenging when you know your heart is in the right place, but there is just no way to succeed when your hands are in so many activities all at once. You can have great intentions, like Kyle did. He knew he needed to provide for his family so he maintained a full time job. He also saw a necessary need for his efforts and time in the youth community at his church. While trying to support all of this, it was his personal family life that suffered. Something have to give, right? If it wasn't his family's happiness, it would have been his full time job. And losing your job due to performance issues may well have lead his family into martial distress as well.

Even as Lynnette had said, she would never let her concerns and worries fester so long before approaching him again. It could very well have saved her a lot of heartache and sleepless nights, lonely afternoons and empty dinner tables. She said she has learned from that. I personally, would not have let my concerns stew that long. It may come off initially as "unsupportive" to be having so much doubt, but it's not in my personality to keep things hidden (just ask my husband)! It was wonderful that Kyle was so receptive to his wife's dismay and not only understood - but had begun to see the same things. I believe things could have gotten a lot worse if he were dismissive about the topic.

What are some things you would like to do more as a family? At this point, we are doing everything as a family. We are a married couple with a 9 month old in tow. Although it would be really nice to be able to take a vacation! Financially, that wouldn't be happening for a few years!

Lynnette had asked why couldn't the church find the elders to educate and lead the youth group. It's definitely true that the elders are the ones with the most time and probably the most experienced wisdom. However, I believe that the youth generation have a hard time identifying with the elders. The kids aren't able to be themselves or ask what is truly on their hearts because many times the elders are just too far removed from the situations at hand. I think it would be more appropriate for 20-30 something year olds to be the group leaders. I think it's probably a little easier for them to remember what teenage life was like. Just my opinion.

Cecily's birth was much like Jackson's was. I was 4 cm dilated upon arriving at the hospital. I went to the hospital 2 hours after my 39 week check up where the OB stripped my membranes for a second time. I was 3 cm going into that appt. I gotten into my hospital room at 8pm, got my epidural at 9pm, OB broke my water at 10pm and by 1am, I had delivered my son after 40 mins of pushing. I could have delivered in 20 mins, but the OB wasn't there yet. SO I "control" pushed for another 20 mins and gave birth to a 7lbs. 3oz baby boy.

Poor Jared, being only five year old, had lived to see two brothers pass away. I was only four when my brother died. I had a few vague memories of that time. I remember that Adam's crib was set up in my room. I remember that my bed was pushed to the wall (which my mom never let us do because she couldn't "make" the bed on that side.) But it needed to be up against the wall in order to fit the crib in there. I remember the white, blue and red linen that was in his crib with a mobile that hung over. I also remember shortly after Adam died, that the crib was suddenly gone. I remember seeing my older brother (who was 6) crying at the burial - that made me said. I knew we weren't bringing home a baby, but I didn't realize much more than that because life continued on as it would for a four year old little girl. I don't remember witnessing my mother crying much, although I wasn't lying next to her each night when the day was over - and I remember that had a mother who was always there and she obviously did her best to give us an unchanged childhood - even though her heart was broken and she longed to be to raising three children, not two.